by S G Read
One girl started practicing and I thought of a new competition, or rather an old one which we had not done for some time.
'Right you lot.' I said loud enough for most to hear, those who did not were soon told. 'We are having a special competition today.' As I spoke another idea came to me. 'And another one tomorrow!'
They crowded round, with nothing much to do they were bored.
'Today is a spear only competition and tomorrow is a stone skipping competition!'
'What is a stone skipping competition?' Charley asked but I had no need to answer as the girls who knew, soon told her and anyone else who did not know.
With only two spears we drew lots as to who played against whom and threw off in pairs, best of five throws. The four winners were paired off and threw again, with the final two trying to win the iron pyrites stone.
I drew George in the first round and although she knew she would lose she still did her best. In the next round I played against Charley and won, leaving me to beat Natasha to win. As much as I wanted to win, when it came down to the last throw I hit the wall of the house in an attempt to let her win. She retrieved the spear and thrust it back into my hand.
'Throw properly. If you let me win I have still lost, only if I beat you have I won!' She said vehemently. 'I don’t expect favours from anyone!'
'If I throw again and don’t beat you, you will still say I tried to lose so I can’t win either!' I answered, threw the spear into the bushes and walked off.
I walked as far as the gate before I stopped; to go further was against my own rules.
'Going far?' George asked.
She had Alex with her.
'No not far.' I replied and opened the gate.
We walked as far as the beach we had first landed on, and then across to the beach we had pulled the boat from and along as far as the rocks which blocked our travel further. Here we could see the start of a bay but the coastline in the bay was all wilderness and impenetrable. I wondered if there was anything on the other side of these rocks and started to climb up on to them. The two girls followed. The climb was hard and probably a waste of time. Half way along I was aware of water hitting rocks where it should not be hitting them and it took my attention. The rocks had a split in them. From both sides it looked like solid rock but when you were on top you could see the entrance to a cave which was only accessible from the sea! I could see no boat and hear nothing but the sea hitting the rocks but I carefully retraced my footsteps to where the girls were trying to catch up just in case we were not alone.
'Something up?' Alex asked.
I signalled silence and she complied immediately. We returned to the house as fast as possible but made sure to wipe out or footprints as we walked on the sand.
'I’m sorry I was angry,' Natasha said as soon as she saw me, 'but I want to win on my own merits or not at all.'
'I am sorry as well,' I replied, 'I should not have done it.'
I gathered everyone.
'I found something while we were walking and we may not be alone!' I had their attention immediately. 'We will not make a lot of noise until we have investigated what I have found tomorrow!'
We went inside and closed the door. We did not sleep well and we were all up early in the morning.
Day 110 on the island.
We washed and left by the back gate, walked as far as the beach where we hid the dinghy and paddled out into the sea. I had girls looking everywhere to make sure no one was about. We passed the rocks at a distance, then we turned into the little bay to find it deserted, when we could see the gap leading to the cave we moved closer. We saw no one and no boat so we went closer, listening intently. We reached the mouth of the cave and paddled inside. It was dark and we had no light so we paddled back out again to fetch the pig oil lamp.
I sent three girls to get it from the house where we kept it now and we hid while we were waiting for them to come back. As soon as they were there we had to set fire to a few leaves to get a light, and then stamp them out again. We paddled back; this time with less worry, there did not seem to be anyone about. When we were at sea I realised the cave was not visible from the sea, in fact it did not seem to be visible from anywhere apart from on the rocks. Was I worrying unduly?
We paddled inside with the lamp flickering its light round the walls. There was no life there and it appeared that no one had been there for many years. I started to relax. There were drawings on the walls further into the cave and it turned under the rocks to form the cave. We paddled as far as we could then hit the rocks. Now we could get out and walk but did we want to. It did seem like the perfect hiding place in an emergency and that alone made me want to find out where it went.
'I want to see where this goes; anyone who wants to stay here can do so.' I announced and my voice echoed around us.
No one wanted to stay there alone. We tied up the dinghy and walked round the corner with the one pig oil lamp. When Sarah tripped over we played the light on what she had fallen over and found a skeletal leg! She screamed when she saw it.
'It can’t hurt you!' Natasha hissed.
'It just did!' Sarah retorted, holding out her bruised hands.
'Well it can’t hurt you any more then!' She replied.
'Unless you trip over it again!' Alex said and promptly fell over something.
I shone the light to show another leg.
'Where is the rest of him?' I said quietly. 'Keep close and try not to fall over.'
We found his body round the next corner with a few friends but they were all dead but these men looked to have been dead for some time! I raised the light and whatever they were supposed to have been guarding sparkled. We moved closer and the dead men were forgotten.
'What is all this?' Tammy asked.
'I think this is pirate treasure but not the modern day pirate, I think this has been here a long time.' I stood the light down and picked up a necklace filled with precious stones. 'If the modern day pirates knew this was here they would be retiring very soon.'
We’re rich!' Natasha cried and ran her hands through the jewels.
'I thought you were already rich?' I replied.
'No, it’s my parents who are rich and I have to do what they say and go to that school!' She answered. 'Now maybe I’ll get a say in things!'
'You met these girls in your school, didn’t you?' I asked.
'Well, yes, sort of.'
'Are you saying you would have liked it better if you hadn’t met them?'
'No! Not at all! I love you guys. I just meant, I just meant, hell I don’t know what I meant but we are still rich!'
'What are we going to do with it all?' Tammy asked.
'Nothing.' I answered. 'It has lain here safe for a long time; it can stay here for a little longer! Beside it might prove to be something to bargain with if we get into trouble!'
'We should move some and hide it so that we can show them a little at a time and make them keep their promises, whatever we get them to promise.' Charley said quietly. 'If it comes to that!'
'Yes that sounds sensible!' Natasha cried.
'Yes it does.' I replied. 'Thank you princess Charley.'
'You are welcome rich King Walter of Horseshoe Island!'
I laughed and it rattled round the cave.
'Hang on a minute!' Charley said, deep in thought. 'If no one has been in here for a very long time how come his body is there and his legs are round the corner?'
George took the light and went exploring.
'There is a small opening back here, too small for us without crawling through but there are trotter prints!' She called from the back of the cave.
'They were eaten by Mr. Pig!' Tammy cried. 'Yuck, we have been eating second hand pirate!'
'I think these men were dead before you were born so I don’t think these pigs did any eating in here!' I said allaying her fears. 'Come on, we need to plan.' I added and started back to the dinghy. 'We will dig holes to put some in, take it from the cave in the dingh
y and bury it. Only two to know where it is, it will be their share and that way no one can give it all away under torture!'
'Torture!' Tammy echoed. 'Earlier you said they just wanted our bodies, now they are going to torture us?'
'When money is at stake, they will torture you to find it and still make use of you.' I warned. 'If they don’t know about it they won’t worry about it! Now we need more light so I will have to bring the battery in here with some bulbs to light it up.'
'Surely they had lights?' Tabby asked. 'Look round and see if they are still here!'
I took the light off George and walked round keeping close to the walls with it and found an oil lamp.
'Good call Tabby.' I said as I lit it.
Their light was a lot better than ours and by it we could see to move around properly. We could also see three more lights! I lit all three and put ours out.
'So we sort it into four and a half equal piles, wrap it in some of the clothes were are never going to wear. Then you bury it where you want to but to make sure there are no mix-ups we will cut the island into four and the pairs will bury their treasure in your quarter where only you two know. The one left on their own will bury theirs wherever they want to. Pair up.'
I was quite prepared to be the person left on their own but Andrea walked straight over and stood next to me.
'If it wasn’t for you I’d be inside a shark now so you are my partner!' She declared.
The two princesses moved together, as did Tabby and Tammy. Alex and Sarah moved together leaving Natasha.
'Come on Tash.' Charley declared. 'From now on you are one of our family, Princess Tasha!'
Natasha smiled and walked over to them.
We sorted through the pile of boxes, taking out jewel after jewel until we had agreed who had what and it was in their pile.
'It’s silly really.' Andrea said when the last jewel or necklace was sorted. 'We are rich now and it is of no earthly use to us where we are!'
'Life is like that Andrea.' I replied sagely. 'The worse one will be that you are so happy when we are finally rescued that you forget to take it with you!'
'No way!' She retorted. 'That has to be an old person thing!'
'Thank you very much!' I retorted.
'I didn’t mean you are old, well you are older, but I meant it would only happen to very old people.' She looked about at the faces looking at her including mine. 'I think it is my turn to shut up now.'
'I should,' Natasha replied, 'or he’ll be burying you with the treasure!'
George laughed, I laughed as well and the rest followed, including Andrea. We walked to the entrance where the dinghy was but it was dark outside.
'It’s got dark.' Natasha said stating the obvious.
'And we haven’t eaten!' Tammy wailed.
'We’ll eat by lantern light tonight.' I said happily.
'If it isn’t ruined!' Charley groaned.
'I will still eat mine.' I replied. 'I am hungry and happy! Fetch the lights and we’ll paddle round by lantern as well.'
'I hope the sea hasn’t got rough.' Natasha declared.
'Well the dinghy is still here and it isn’t going up and down a lot.' I replied.
We paddled out by the light of five lights; George had relit the pig oil lamp. We went out far enough not to hit the rocks and then paddled for the bay. We dragged the dinghy out of the water and hid it in the same place as before, then walked back to the house in single file. The fire was lifeless but it soon picked up when we stoked up the side where there was no food waiting to be eaten. It was well cooked but half an hour later it was well eaten. We blew out the lanterns while we were eating and turned on the house lights. The flames of the fire flickered on the girl’s faces eerily but I could see they were all smiling.
'Thank you Tasha.' I said between mouthfuls.
'What for?' She asked.
'For making me angry. Without it I would have never walked out on to the rocks and therefore we would have never found the treasure.
'You’re welcome,' She replied slyly, 'we do still have to finish the competition though.'
I nodded.
We let the flames died after we had eaten and went to bed; we wanted to be up early to bury our treasure.
'What if we forget where we buried it?' I heard a voice say in the dark.
I recognised it as Sarah’s
'Maybe you should make a map or write a verse or note down how many steps it is from here but if you do; you need to hide that as well.' I replied.
'Then you will have to make another map-' Alex started.
'Oh shut up!' Sarah grumped. 'I get the picture!'
Day 111 on the island.
After a good nights' sleep I woke to find them all up, showered and dressed, well as far as putting on a pair of shorts and some sort of cut off tee shirt.
We started as soon as I was ready and made our way to the dinghy. We had the trolley with us so that the girls could take their treasure away and bury it. We loaded the first lot, paddled ashore and watched as the first two went off to hide it. We had a long discussion about getting the next lot out ready but it was safe where it was so we hid the boat and ourselves until they returned. We repeated the process twice more then it was Andrea and my turn.
'As we are up in the horseshoe area you lot can hide the dinghy and go in by the back door if you want.' I said as we wheeled the trolley away.
I had made up my mind where to hide it. No one ever went out onto the peninsula as it was not very wide but there was room to bury some treasure and I remembered a stunted monkey puzzle tree which seemed the ideal marker. We took the trolley as far as we could, then left it and walked on, I had Andrea on watch, she knew the plan and we did not want to be seen burying it or just seen at all! I dug the hole, carried the treasure to it and laid it ready for burying. I waved to Andrea and she hurried over.
'I haven’t seen anyone.' She reported.
'Well this is where I am burying it, can you remember it okay?'
'Yes. This funny tree makes a good marker.'
We buried it together and walked a little way before Andrea cried 'DOWN' and dived for cover.
I did the same and from our spot on the ground we watched a boat go by some distance away. The person driving it looked like a tourist and there was a girl sunbathing on it but from that distance it was hard to tell.
'What do we do?' Andrea asked.
'Nothing!' I answered. 'If they are about here they will eventually explore our island and that will be our time to meet them, if we want to meet them that is.'
We watched the boat get smaller and smaller until it was far enough away not to be a worry, then we started back with the trolley. We crossed the beach and I went back with the spade to rub out our footprints. I knew the rising tide would do it eventually but for now I turned the footprints into a cross between a turtle dragging its way along the beach and a sidewinder doing the same, not that there were any snakes on the island, it was the best I could do. It was some time before we opened the gate and walked into our haven. I pulled the gate down after us as Andrea wheeled the trolley along. The rest appeared and came running.
'Did you see the boat?' Natasha asked breathlessly.
'Yes.' Andrea answered. 'Walter said to do nothing, we are hoping they are tourists and will come and explore this island, then we’ll see who they are and get a lift home if we can.'
I caught them up and heard the tail end of the conversation, enough to know what it was about.
'Better safe than sorry.' I added.
'But we could have warned them about the pirates!' Tammy cried, always thinking of others.
'If you were on that boat would you believe it if I said there were pirates about even though we have not actually seen them?' I asked.
'Probably not.' Sarah answered before Tammy could speak. 'I would probably think you were like Ben Gun in the book. Mad as a hatter!'
'We just have to hope they land before the pirates get them.' George add
ed.
'Are we sure there are any pirates?' Alex asked.
'We are not sure of anything really.' I answered. 'We are just being careful.'
'As long as we aren’t too careful.' She replied. 'I would like to go home now that I am a rich girl!'
'Wouldn’t we all.' Natasha added.
We walked back to the house with two girls helping Andrea with the trolley. They gathered round me when I stopped walking.
'We know someone is about who might help so we keep a good watch for the next few days for boats like the one we all saw,' I announced, 'but we will make sure who and what is going on before we make a move, understood?'
A ragged 'yes' answer came from them all.
'Good. I want off this island as much as you but not out of the frying pan and into the fire! Which for me would be a sandy grave!'
'Not if we can help it.' George said quietly. 'No one hurts my daddy.' She added with a smile.
We stayed in the compound that evening, no going to the beach and no loud noises. We did practice with the weapons but not for the next competition, we were practising fore the real thing!
When we went inside I turned all the lights off when we were in bed and we talked in the dark.
'What about our competition?' I heard a voice ask, it was Natasha.
'If we do not see them for three days we will have the competition on the fourth that will be the stone skipping one!' I advised her.
'Good, I’m good at that.' I heard her say.
'I’ve never done it before the other day when you showed me.' I heard Charley answer.
'Good I will be able to beat you.' Natasha answered.
'What about finishing the other competition before we go out tomorrow, they aren’t likely to be back by tomorrow anyway?' I heard George say.
'Yes and you have to do it as best you can!' Natasha added.
'Okay, but if you do win, no saying I didn’t try hard enough!' I warned.
'Alright, I’ll take the thing even if you drop the spear in front of you!' She answered levelly.
Day 112 on the island.
We finished the competition in the morning before we went out. It did not last long and I walked away with the trophy, I had tried my best and won. We split up and went to our areas to keep watch. It was deja vu; we saw no one and nothing all day and returned to eat before dark.